Preparing for Holiday Guests & Hosting the Holidays
Lifestyle
November and December are wonderful months full of family, friends, and holiday traditions. While there is plenty of cheer to go around, sometimes preparing for holiday guests can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve put together our top tips and a couple of free downloadable checklists to help you stay organized.
Holiday Entertaining Tips
Everyone has their own unique entertaining style, but some additional holiday entertaining tips are always useful! Here are a few entertaining tips that we live by during the holidays:
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Keep It Simple
Stick to your holiday meal traditions. The holidays are not the time to test new recipes, and if you do plan to try something new, test and perfect it far enough in advance so you know what you need and where to get it. Grocery stores during the holidays can be a nightmare and you don’t want to waste any time running around trying to find everything. But remember, keep it simple!
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What Would You Want as a Guest?
Sometimes we can be so focused on perfecting the smallest details that we don’t recognize our guests’ wants and needs. Does the perfect tablescape matter more than your guests’ empty water (or wine) glasses? Probably not! Remember that what matters most to them is good company, food, and conversation. The small details are every bit as important as the needs of your guests.
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You Don’t Always Have to be the Entertainment
Board games are a blessing during the holidays when you’re running around trying to keep everything running smoothly. Set out a game table with a couple of bottles of wine and a variety of board games for your guests to entertain themselves with while you put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving turkey or holiday cookies.
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Be Prepared
If you’re serving anything that can be prepared in advance, definitely take the time to prep as much as possible. The last thing you want is for a cooking emergency to spill over into quality time with the family. Avoid the stress and prep what you can before the guests arrive.
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Be Present
The holidays aren’t about being perfect, they’re about spending quality time with your loved ones. If your hair isn’t perfect and you forgot to warm the rolls in the oven, it is OK. Give yourself permission to be present during the holidays. When you look back on this time in your life, you’ll remember is the memories with family and friends, not the minor details you may have missed.
Holiday Shopping Checklist
It’s always the little things that we seem to miss while we’re running around the grocery store. To avoid the stress of returning to the store we’ve put together a free downloadable holiday shopping checklist of the most common holiday ingredients to help you enjoy a stress free holiday season.
Download the Holiday Shopping List
How to Prepare for Houseguests
There is a lot that goes into preparing for holiday guests (the overnight ones). The free downloadable checklist below provides a list of to-dos to prepare for your guests arrival and items your guests may need during their visit. You’ll host with grace and your guests will be impressed that you are so prepared for their visit!
Download the Overnight Guest Checklist
